HomeNews & EventsParents and babies to benefit from multiple services under one roof as maternity hubs launched for first time in Lincolnshire

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Parents and babies to benefit from multiple services under one roof as maternity hubs launched for first time in Lincolnshire

Parents will have access to antenatal, postnatal and general health and social services all under one roof for the first time when a new maternity hub is launched in Lincoln.

The hub, which will be located in Birchwood Children’s Centre, will act as a ‘one-stop shop’ – midwives, health visitors, children centre staff, mental health services and a variety of support groups all working in the same facility. It will open to members of the public between 1pm and 3pm on Monday, December 4. Refreshments, cakes and a free raffle will be provided on the day. Members of the press are welcome.

The pilot scheme will run for 12-months and, to start with, be available for parents registered at Birchwood Medical Practice and Woodland Medical Practice, only.

The initiative is part of NHS England’s Maternity Transformation Programme – a piece of work which aims to ensure women and their babies receive safe, more personalised care that suits the needs of the local community – and supports the national maternity review, Better Births.

There will be four pilot sites spread across Lincolnshire by the end of March.

Tracy Pilcher, senior responsible officer for the Lincolnshire Maternity Transformation Programme and Better Births Lincolnshire, said: “We are delighted to begin the roll-out of our pilot maternity hubs at Birchwood Children’s Centre. We’re one of the first areas in the country to do this – certainly in a rural patch like Lincolnshire.

“’We found almost total unanimity from mothers that they want their midwife to be with them from the start, during pregnancy, birth and then after birth too. Mothers said they hardly ever saw the same professional twice.

“Our maternity hubs will bring together so many services into one local venue and that can only be a good thing for mums, dads and of course their babies too. They will also ensure fast and effective referral to the right expert if a woman and her baby need more specialised services.”

Other services such as smoking cessation, Addaction, P3 and other voluntary agencies providing peer support will also be available from the hubs. Women can also have the opportunity to connect with professionals who will be working with them after childbirth.

Councillor Mrs Patricia Bradwell, Executive Councillor for Children’s Service at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Our children’s centres already provide a range of important services and activities for parents, carers and their children. This initiative will really benefit parents who are about to have children by bringing all support services under one roof, right on their doorstep.

“While this maternity hub will be of real benefit to the local community in Birchwood, it is being replicated at some other children’s centres in the county over the coming months. It will give many mothers and their families added confidence and piece of mind, knowing that they can access their local children’s centre to get expert support during pregnancy, birth and beyond.”